Clinical impression suggests that Adriamycin interferes with wound healing. Biomechanical and biochemical studies of wound healing in the rat have been undertaken. Thus far, we have shown that wound breaking strength is sigificantly reduced when adriamycin accompanies surgery up to three days post-op. Delaying administration of adriamycin by seven days post-op eliminates the deleterious effect. It appears that the defect contributing to reduced wound breaking strength in adriamycin treated animals is not due to a collagen maturation defect but is due to a reduction in scar collagen accmulation as measured by "new" hydroxyproline content and reduced fiber diameter as determined by EM measurements.